Official Word from Ian!

[Derwin]

Here is an email I just received from our fearless leader.....

Hi Derwin,

How are you? Would you please let everyone know the forums are back on the air. Thanks!

Cheers,
-- Ian

Ian A. Bruce
Founder
Venture Vehicles, Inc.

[randi]

Good morning, and thanks, Derwin.

Good news!

[Jack Willard]

Yep, and Ian Bruce or anyone else at VV has nothing whatsoever to say about anything. No "sorry about the site being down for so long." No comment at all. Business as usual. :(

[rogwild]

Good to hear that Ian is still around (Derwin can start 'posting' again:eek:); but you can inform him that the [HOME] button in the upper left 'Sidebar Menu' is still NOT FIXED.:(
Different 'server', no 'improvements' or information!r:a:n:t:2:101

[Derwin]

Well, in response to Ian's email to me this morning, I sent him this....





Ian,

Thank you for the heads-up on the forums. I posted an update informing our members.

I hate to ask.....but can you give me a little "hint" of (and allow me to post) when we will be finding out more information about what's going on behind the scenes with the project? Everybody is really anxious to know where you are at in development. They are also (me included!) interested to know if you settled on a new name for the company and vehicle, and if you are going to be creating a new website/forum. I was informed last year by Rick Balsiger that there would be a new VV enthusiast site/forum up and running sometime this year, but it has not transpired yet. Is this still in the works?

Any information that you can provide will be much appreciated, and accepted with enthusiastic excitement by all that follow your company.

Sincerely,

Derwin

P.S. By the way, did you ever get those club coffee-mugs I sent you? ;-)


Hopefully Ian will be getting back to me with some good information. I guess we just have to wait and see.

Derwin

[MVRacing]

Thanks Derwin.

Sorry to see nothing at all in the way of information ...

[westonlgray]

I agree that it is good to know that he is still around. Assuming all of the secrecy is due to the X-prize, it won't be too much longer until someone wins that, then maybe we will be able to get a more regular flow of info, maybe VV will even win it. I am still on the list to buy one... when they get to Ohio.

[kid_glove]

At least we know that Ian is alive and well. But, everyone is right, just to say, "the forum is back up and running" has no in-depth meaning to us. We need more information, but I guess that has to wait until or after the X-prize is over.

[rogwild]

I guess that has to wait until or after the X-prize is over.

That will be a L-O-O-N-G wait since the Progressive Auto X-Prize doesn't 'START' until Sept 2009, and won't be finished until early 2010.

Again, there is No Value to other competitors in knowing if Vv has a running prototype yet. They will continue with their entry's development/refinement whether Vv enters a vehicle or not. From the last 'glimpse' of Vv projections (via the most recent surveys), Vv may not even have a vehicle that 'qualifies' for the Race (minimum 100MPGe).
But there is Value to Vv to demonstrate that they can deliver on their projection of having a 'running prototype' in order to obtain Series B Funding (required to make the BETA prototype) and have a vehicle available to actually enter into the Race (if they can meet the fuel efficiency standards). The conjecture that the 'Info Blackout' is based on the Auto X-Prize, just has no logical foundation.

[waboom]

So, site's fully back up. We're back to where we were 2 weeks ago then.

I'm beting we won't be seeing moderators anytime soon.

[Miracleman89]

I just wish he would have given us something to chew on after they got the forum back up. Instead here we all stand still in the dark!! I hope Ian write back to Derwin soon!!!

[RAN]

Derwin was it really necessary to start a new thread with the heading "Official Word from Ian!", only to have it say "the forum is back up?" We knew that already. From that title, I thought there was actually something worth reading in here.

I can't wait to see your next thread, when Ian proclaims to us all that "the sky is blue". </eyeroll>

[Derwin]

LOL! Sorry about that, RAN. But as I stated in another post/thread, I was going to announce when I heard from Ian. Well, I heard from Ian, and wanted all of you guys to know about it. Besides that, Ian specifically asked me to inform the members that the forum was back up and running. Maybe I could have done it without creating a new thread, but I thought people would like to discuss it. Heck, it was a MAJOR issue for a LARGE amount of people over the past couple weeks. Everybody thought the sky was falling and that Venture Vehicles went out of business. I just thought it was an important announcement. Sorry.

Derwin

By the way, did anybody check out PINK at the VMA awards? Her performance was INCREDIBLE with the song "So What". Hmmm. Maybe I should have titled this thread "SO WHAT"...!

[RAN]

Hahahahahha! :-{)]

[tugboatwilly]

It seems I am still a moth to the flame.

[Hardtime11]

It seems I am still a moth to the flame.

You did mean a moth to a spark, right? At 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years away it is still a long ways to go. I hope it makes it but the way things are going and the lack of info I am sort of leery of the next update. It might be a reschedule or another "Everything is going great, we are real busy", then the next indirect news from outside sources or leaked news media would be another delay of delivery.

I hope they come up with an announcement to the effect that things are going great and the delivery date has been moved up (sooner). That would be great news. I think a few of us might actually get the jitters from the excitement.thu:mbs:up:22

[tugboatwilly]

Nope!!! Definately FLAME as I have been burned with all the false advertising for VV I have been doing. All my friends think I am Five stupid chickens short of a limit.

[Derwin]

Why do you think it is "false" advertising?

It's curious to me that people have really gone negative toward Venture Vehicles simply because they have not been able to see what has been going on behind the scenes. And I am NOT singling you out! I have been guilty of this myself many times in the past!

Listen, we have been given the incredible opportunity over the past year and a half to take part in the development of this new vehicle. Now they have decided (for reasons unkown) to keep a lid on the informaiton.

I have decided to simply sit back and wait to see how this all plays out. If Ian decides to make public more information, and lets us in on the progress they are making, it will be all the better. But my enthusiasm is not going to waver in the process.

I'm speaking for myself, of course. But I think it is a very reasonable way to proceed.

Derwin

[rogwild]

Derwin; I believe that TBW means by 'false advertising', is the 'word of mouth advertising' that HE has been giving others (like many of us) based upon the information and 'promises' that Vv has made over the past 1 1/2 years. Like the original 12 prototypes by Sept 2007, production 3/4 qtr 2008, price under $20,000, 100mpg-120mph, fast 0-60mph times, etc. He then has to tell his friends that he had 'bad' information (initial projections, whatever). That makes an 'avid supporter' look foolish and the company itself questionable. We know many of the hurdles that a 'new company' has to cross, but those people that we share our 'enthusiasm' with, look at us as not knowing what we are talking about, and perhaps pushing a 'Vaporware Vehicle'.

Perhaps it is best that all us V~1 lovers also go 'Underground' and not share our expectations with others until, Vv actually delivers Something.

[MVRacing]

Rogwild,
I think you've excellently summed it up. I know that is how I feel. I've quit telling friends about it and avoid the subject when they ask how it's going.

Also, like Derwin, I'm going to "sit back and wait to see how this all plays out". And, "my enthusiasm" ...(for the vehicle)... "is not going to waver in the process."

[bigandugly]

Rogwild,
I too am an enthusiast and will probably wait patiently but I now keep my enthusiasm to myself. In the past I too was a "missionary" on spreading the word about this vehicle but to many missed dates, promises, and communication has made me a "closet" enthusiast.

[Derwin]

Well, with a project like this, it probably is best to not broadcast all of the SPECIFICATIONS to everyone you know. After all, they don't even have a working prototype yet! At least not that we know of.

But the fundamentals of the vehicle are there, and we CAN share that with people. The Carver is on the road, and it is an incredible vehicle. I have told MANY people about this club, and they are excited about Venture Vehicles, but they would be excited if just the Carver was made available in America at a reasonable price. We all suspect that VV is going to make something a "little" better than the Carver, so there still is very good reason to be excited about this project.

Again, sit back, have a cup of coffee, smoke a nice premium cigar (available at derwins.com!) and wait for this all to unfold.

Derwin